Reba McEntire Album: “Keep On Loving You”

Reba amazes me again with a great country album and my personal favorite of hers! I thought "Room to Breathe" was great, but this is even better! My favorite has to be "Maggie Creek Road," as it as a deep and truly haunting song that gave me the chills! You go Reba!

"Strange"- 9/10

"Just When I Thought I'd Stopped Loving You"- 9/10

"I Keep On Loving You"- 9/10

"I Want A Cowboy"- 9/10

"Consider Me Gone"- 10/10

"But Why"- 7.5/10

"Pink Guitar"- 9.5/10

"She's Turning 50 Today"- 8.5/10

"Eight Crazy Hours (In The Story Of Love)"- 9.5/10

"Nothing To Lose"- 8/10

"Over You"- 7.5/10

"Maggie Creek Road"- 20/10

"I'll Have What She's Having"- 10/10

Overall, most of the songs on here are near perfect, and there isn't one that I desperately want to skip everytime it plays. Reba's been singing for over 30 years, and she still remains at the top of her game. You go Reba!

'Keep on Loving You' marks Reba McEntire's first solo effort in six years and the 25th album in her long career in country music. While many popular country acts of today are making music that sounds less like country and more like a fusion of country and pop, what is striking about 'Keep on Loving You' is how it stands a strong reminder of not the 2000s Reba McEntire but of the '80s country star and diva. There are a lot of tracks on here that are pure country with elements of swing, with rarely used fiddles/violins and a lot of twang and sway.

The Good: I enjoyed Reba taking on more upbeat songs. the first half of the release is definitely the strongest because these songs featured something of a new theme for Reba. Instead of the expected heartbreak, heart ache, sad songs she's gotten down to an art, we hear a far more upbeat, fun, sassy Reba McEntire. Some of the songs sound like something the younger artists like Carrie Underwood or perhaps the group Sugarland would cover; on 'Strange' she sings a very upbeat song about getting over heart ache and being stronger at the end of a relationship rather than weak and heart broken; 'I Want A Cowboy' is perhaps my favorite track, with her simply describing her ideal man and getting a bit sensual as she flaunts her sexuality around, something she hardly does in her music; 'Consider Me Gone' may have hints of heartbreak and melancholy but it's very upbeat with a hint of optimism in the face of (yes) a relationship souring. Even with some of the less impressive songs, I enjoyed the old feeling they had because they reminded me of some of her older material and a sound she's not touched much. Lyrically, 'Maggie Creek Road' tells a story and is stylistically similar to 'Fancy'. 'I'll Have What She's Having' sounds very left field with its swing elements, but lyrically it's very tongue-in-cheek and shows off Reba's sense of humor.

The Bad: I really enjoyed the 'new' sound and music that opened the release. Mid-way through, it loses steam with songs that sound as if they were selected in an attempt to inject the expected Reba sad, heartache, facts of life-type songs that have come to define her. 'She's Turning 50 Today' and 'Eight Crazy Hours' are okay, but they tell more of a story than they feature good music. These are songs I feel after a listen, I'd skip over. They aren't horrible but they cause a rather frustrating lull in the middle of the release and the upbeat songs that are the strongest and open 'Keep On Loving You' never seem to make a comeback before the end.

In all, this release will really appeal to those who are either seeking classic country music or are looking for Reba McEntire music that will remind you of her hits from the 1980s and early 1990s. I enjoyed it and even though there are a few snoozers, all of the tracks are worth listening to and this is one of the few releases worth purchasing and adding to your collection.

Tracks to Listen To: Strange, Over You, I Want a Cowboy, Consider Me Gone, Maggie Creek Road

I think she is and will always be one of my favorite country singers of all times. She has such grace about her and a voice that is especially unique which makes this cd even more enjoyable to listen to

Reba McEntire shows why she remains a Country superstar with her

latest release "Keep On Loving You."

The songs primarily tell the stories of women at different phases of their

lives. "Strange" tells the story of how one woman gets over being dumped by

her Ex. "Pink Guitar" deals with a young girl's dreams of being "Dressed in

black like Johnny Cash with a pink guitar." "She's Turning 50 Today"

focuses how on one woman's unique approach to the big 5-0.

The best songs show McEntire's strengths as a singer. "Maggie Creek Road"

shows McEntire's fiery and tough side in a song about a Mother taking on

her daughter's attacker. "Over You" shows Reba's tender and vulnerable side

as she sings about a woman who can't move on as well as her ex does.

McEntire also shows that she still has some tricks up her sleeve. She shows

a surprisingly sexy side on "But Why" and a playfulness on "I'll Have What

She's Having."

Ultimately, it's Reba's sincerity that makes "Keep On Loving You" one of her

best releases. McEntire always seems to want to tell a story with each song she

sings. She brings the listener in and allows them to somehow relate to the song.

Reba McEntire is a modern country legend beloved by millions of fans and will

find more with her latest release.-BobsViews

I'll keep this brief and to-the-point.

I've been waiting for a few years for Reba to return to a solo project, and boy was it worth it! I had heard (AND LOVED) the first single, 'Strange', as well as equally great follow-up single 'Consider Me Gone', but this morning I got in the rest of the album during my daily jog of Town Lake here in Austin. What a wonderful album! Though there are some songs I'd not pick as stand out tracks for radio, there's virtually nothing on here that is skippable.

I have to say, that if Reba's new label Valory is smart, they will release the song 'I Want A Cowboy'. It is at once, gritty and down home, but also very radio-friendly. The track immediately struck me with it's sass. Modern, but plenty PLENTY country enough for modern country radio! Guys, pick it up. There's every variety of emotion on this album, with an extra kick of upbeat. Certainly more compared to her traditional album layouts..

Awesome release! So glad to be on the journey with this country legend!

Michael

Austin, TX